Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho

Lupati -- another of a long list of American Samoa-born players available in April's NFL Draft -- is one of the best guard prospects in the nation, despite his team gathering little press coverage. A product of Western Prep (California), the 6-foot-6 mammoth enrolled with the Vandals in 2006. Lupati played little as a true freshman in 2006 but changed that the following spring when he snatched the left guard position and never looked back. He started all 12 games in 2007 and 10 (missed much of 2 games due to an off season shoulder surgery) in 2008. Lupati was voted team captain for the 2009 campaign. He has great overall size and a frame to grow even more. Is quick off the blocks despite having just average (5.3e) speed. Gets in position quickly and walls blockers well. Works relative well through the hole and is an anchor in pass protection. Bends knee well and has good balance. Does not display a lot of power despite bulk. Sometimes get pushed around. Tends to play too tall and lets defender move underneath his shoulder pads. Needs to do a better job sinking his hips. Has marginal skills on the second level as he too often loses his balance there. A good player with some upside to develop, Lupati is one of the top tier G prospects in a relatively weak class. Lupati needs to refine his footwork and develop a better hand coordination. He will need time to adjust to the speed of the pro game; carries a mid third round rate. 3/3 Update: Iupati has been steadily moving up draft boards since the end of Idaho's season. Initially limited to a second or third rounder just because he was a guard and not a tackle, Iupati has moved well beyond those expectations. After a solid NFL Combine and other workouts, Iupati is now considered nearly a lock to be a first round selection. He will not be a top 15 pick, but Pittsburgh or Dallas should not pass on him later in the opening round.

I'm surprised that this was updated just this past Thursday. No way is Iupati even close to the #45 ranking that you gave him. He is so big, quick & powerful that he won't make it out of the 1st rd.

His combination of size, athleticism, and ability to adjust lead me to believe he will be a great run blocker in the NFL. He hustles to block for WRs on screens and plays through the whistle on many runs. I am also impressed, in pass protection, by his ability to get into his stance quickly off the snap. I have not once seen his man beat him off the snap. Iupati generally plays with good leverage, which is important since he is quite tall for a guard. He also has good footwork and can slide with a stunting tackle easily. This ability to move his feet has lead to many NFL scouts suspecting that Iupati could play tackle in the NFL.

My hope is that the Dallas Cowboys pick him up with the 32nd pick. He can play any position on the line besides OC, and would be a welcome addition to an aging offensive line.